Means for illuminating switchhandles



| s. BRACH 1,985,276-

MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING SWITCH HANDLES Filed July 16, 1952' Dec. 25,1934.

INVENTOR LEON S. BRACH BY h ,{Q 2 1% ATl'ORNE Patented Dec. 25, 1934 vUNITED STATES 1,985,276 I smarts roa' IILUMlNA-TING swrrcn-x HANDLESLeon s. Brach, m Orange, .N. If Application July is, 1932. Serial No.cause Another object of my invention is .to provide means as a part ofthe switch for illuminating the switch handle so as to indicate not onlythe location of the switch, but whether the switch is in on? or "of!position. I

Another object of my invention is to provide means comprising part ofthe switch for illuminating the handle, which means may be applied tovarious types of standard switches without changing the over-alldimension of the switches and adding but. little to the cost thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide illuminating means for aswitch handle which can be connected across any of the usual low voltagecircuits without change, and at the same timeconsume an extremely smallamount of current.

- These and other objects will be discerned from a reading 'of thespecification taken in connection with the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a substantially full-size plan view of a well-known make oftoggle switch, without the mounting plate, to which my invention hasbeenapplied.

Figure 2 is a view onthe line 2-2 of-Figure' 1. Figure3isaviewon theline3 3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a view through the handle of the switch showing theilluminating means-therewithin. t

Figure 5 is an end-view of the central portion of the switch showing thetoggle mechanism.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic viewv of the circuit connections to theswitch and the handle-illuminating device.

V In the drawing, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts inthe various views, 1 is a "metal frame usually made of steel, havingdown-1 wardly bent'side-support members 2 and 3 be-" tween which ispositioneda switch block 4, the same being carr'ied on a'pivot pin 5insulated bythe insulators 6 and 7 from the side members 2 and 3,fcr apurpose to bolster referred to. The .side members 2 and 3 carry a toggleframe member side of which gare supported a pair of switch members 9 and10 which are insulated from 'theframeBbymitabieinsirlators 11. Theewitchblock 4 carries a combined stop and spring-engaging member 12 having afork 13 adapted to engage one end of toggle spring 14, the other end ofwhic Passes around a lug 15 on the frame- 8, thus positioning the spring14 within' the toggle frame 8. The switch block 4 is also provided .with'an auxiliary stopmember 16 for engaging, the mounting plate 1 when theswitch block 4 is in one position as shown in Figures 1, 2,' and 4; Whenthe switch block 4 is thrown to the opposite position, the lug 17 or themember 12 engagesthe mounting plate 1 to act as a stop.

holes 18 and 19. for mounting the same on the hollow block or basemember 20 made of. some good material such as porcelain. The base20carries a pair of contact'members 21 and, 22 to which circuit wires areadapted to -be attached by means of screws 23 and 24. The

contact member 21 is provided with a downwardly and inwardly extendinglug 25, .while the con-' tactvmember- 22 is provided with a lug 26. Thelugs 25 and 26 are adapted to be engaged by the I switch contact members9 and-10 when the switch block 4 is moved to a position as indicated inFigures 1 and 2.

The switch plate 1 is provided with tapped The previously describedparts of the switch illustrated, except the special insulated pin 5,form no part of my invention but are merely to illustrate and describemore clearly the appli cation of my invention thereto.

In order to illuminate the switch handle 27, I make the same hollow andpreferably provide it wltha screw-thread for screwing it into the switchblock 4. The handle 27 is preferably. made in its entirety oftransparent or translucent 'material, although the stem part of the Ihandle 'may be of opaque material, while the end 28 may be of'transparentmaterial to light therethrough, and in some cases, the end28, whether separate or integral with-the stem portion, may be providedwith numbers so that any particular circuit may be readily identified.

The block-4 is provided with asocket 29 preferably of the screw-threadtype, to receive :a bulb 30 having a screw-base '31 to flt thesocket 29. The lamp bulb -30 is provided with a pair of spacedelectrodes 32 and as, one of'these elec-, trodes beingv connected to thescrew-base 81 of the lamp, while the other electrode i's connected" tothe oentralelectrode 34 of the bulb 30. The

bulb 30 is evacuated'and filled within gas. The pivot pin 5 carries aflexible contact 5 for contact 3401, theil'amp.

ber 21 to the central point The socket 29 is attached by a suitableconnec- I tion 36 to the frame 1 of the-switch.

Mounted along one side 3'? of the wallof the hollow base 20, is aresistance unit comprising an insulator 38, to one end of which isattached in any satisfactory manner, .as by rivets or eyelets 39, aterminal strip 40. To the other end of the insulator 38 is similarlyattached ,a terminal strip 41 which isadapted to be fastened to or heldin contact with the switch lug 25. On one side of the insulator 38, iscarried a. resistor 42 preferably constructed in the same manner. .asgrid-leak resistors used in radio circuits.

When the switclris assembled, the end'43 of the pin engages the end ofthe flexible terminal 40 of the resistor 42, thereby completing anelectrical connection from the switch contact mem- 34 of the lamp 30,and to one of the electrodes within the bulb 30.

By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen that one of the circuit wires44 is connected to the terminal screw 23, while the other circuit wire45 is connected to the frame 1 of the switch. When the switch is thrownso that the contacts 9 and engage the contact .lugs 25 and 26, a circuitis completed from the wires 44 and 45 through to the wires 46 and 47leading outwardly from the switch. As shown by the full lines 48, theresistor 42 is connected to the terminal carrying the screw 24, and theopposite potentials of thecircuit are applied to the lamp electrodes 32and 33 when the switch members 9 and 10 are in circuit closing position,and the bulb 30 will glow, indicating that the switch is in closedposition' and that a circuit is completed through the switch. If thewire 48 be connected to the screw terminal 23, as indicated by thedotted line 49, then the lamp 30 will glow all the time whether theswitch be on or' 91!, thereby indicating the location of the switch sothat the operator can readily find it even in the dark.

plied to other The grid-leak resistor is very high and its purpose is tolimit the amount of current consumed by the lamp, so that even if thelamp be connected by the lead. 49 to the terminal screw 23 as abovedescribed, the amount of energy consumed is infinitesimal. In some casesor typesof switches,

it may be advisable to use two resistors, one in each lead running tothe lamp electrodes '32 and 33, in order to reducethe chances of shortcircuit produced by flash-over in the resistor, if one of the grid-leaktypeis used; or in some cases, the resistor may be divided into twoseparate portions connected in series to one of the lamp electrodes.

Ifthere is plenty of space available, a highresistance wire type ofresistor may be used instead of one of the grid-leak type. J

While I have shown and described my invention as applied to one form. oftoggle switch, it is to be understood that thisinvention may be aptypesof switches and it is also to be understood that the switch may beprovided with a small auxiliary make and break contact arranged so as toopen the circuit through the neon bulb when the switch is in closedposition, so that the switch handle would be lighted only when thecircuit is open.

From what has been said, it will be seen that the extra parts requiredto apply my invention to a standard type of switch, are veryfew and maybe readily applied at a very low cost and without increasing the spacerequired for mounting the switch.

It will also be observed that the type of lamp 'used for illuminatingthe handle is of a character such that it can be made very small,considerably smaller than a'filament type ofdamp, for as has alreadybeen pointed out, the amount of current consumed is extremely smallbecause of the typ of lamp used, and the fact that the resistor used ispreferably of the order of 50,000 ohms or even higher, and the lamp,provided the switch construction is satisfactory, can be connectedacross any of the low voltage circuits; namely, 110, 220,

' 440 volts, without change. It is also pointed out that one part of thehandle circuit is grounded.

Completion of the ground circuit can be readily. the conduit or pickupusumade through either ally close to the switch since a good groundcontact is not necessary because of the nature of the lamp as has beenexplained.

Another great advantage of my invention is that the handle is lightedwith a softly glowing .light which is highly desirable in many placeswhere a switch of this character is adapted for use. It will be obviousthat the details for carrying my invention into practice-may be variedover a considerable range, and'I therefore do not wish to be undulylimited in the interpretation of thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim is: c

1. Illuminating means for aswitch-handle, in-

eluding a hollow handle at least some portion of which will pass lightrays, a metallic frame, a switching member pivotally mounted on saidframe and having means to receive said handle, a bulb socket carried bysaid member and electricallyconnected to said frame, a flexible contactcarried by the pivot pin, an inert, gas-filled-bulb carried by saidsocket and having terminals adapted to engage said socket and flexiblecontact on the pivot pin, said .bulb having a pair of spaced electrodestherein connected to the bulb terminals and capable of being connectedwithout change directly across any low voltage circuit, said bulbextending into the hollow handle, and at least one high resistorarranged to be connected in series through said pin and-flexible contactcarried thereby with said electrodes when the same are energized.

to said switching member, a lamp-bulb socket carried by said switchingmember and having an the frame,-a gas-filled electrical connection withbulb having a terminal to fit said socket, said bulb extending into thehollow handle, said handle being of a material which will pass lightrays, an electrode within the bulb connected to said terminal, a secondelectrode within the bulb and connected to the central contact on thebulb, a flexible contact carried by the pivot pin and engaging saidcentral bulb contact, at least one high resistor carried within theswitch-base and having a fiexibleterminal to engage said pivot pin,

terminal connected.

said resistor havingits other to one of the main switch terminals,

LEON s. BEACH.

